Here’s a few remarkable stats on the world’s #1 social network, Facebook:

· Top 2009 Google search term was “Facebook” (Google Insights)
· 2nd most visited site next to Google at #1 (Alexa)
· 350 million users and increasing rapidly
· Fastest growing demographic age 30+
· 700,000+ local active business Fan Pages

Facebook Pages (aka Fan Pages) are much like a second, more interactive, website. They are SEO. I don’t want you to miss this so I’ll say it again. They are Search Engine Optimized and that means that your Page can be found through powerful search engines like Google… driving traffic and generating leads! You can send mass messages, promote events and share a wide range of engaging and educational content. It’s really more like an event than a site or brochure. It’s a great opportunity to share your company’s message and build relationships.

Check out how these Pages are doing it right:

1        Customized Landing Page
Victoria’s Secret Pink has a great landing page. By default, all Facebook landing pages are set to the “Wall”. You can easily change this by adjusting the settings under “Wall”. You could offer viewers a more attractive and engaging welcome. Pink’s landing page offers free stuff, promotes sales, entices with internal links (polls, photo gallery) and even offers cell phone wallpaper when you text your phone.

2        Build Credibility. Share the Workload.
Orange Salon. They take care of basics in their Information panel (hours of operation, phone, address) and share customer reviews on their “Wall” and in “Photos”. Fans are really engaged and grateful. A “Reviews” tab would also be good here, too. There’s nothing more powerful than a loyal fan. They posted what seems to be a customer submitted video. After a closer look, it’s made by the salon. In any case, it’s great to have video to help build personality and credibiliy. Even better if it’s a real fan video. For example, Coca Cola found a “real” Fan Page and made it official. They acknowledged them publically then supported them to do the work.

3    Fun with Video.
Dunkin Donuts. A talking coffee bean may not be what comes to mind when considering what makes a great Page, but hey… social media is best when it’s fun! Dunkin Donuts added a custom tab called “Maurice”. You can make Maurice the bean say some funny things and send it to a friend or post it to someone’s wall (viral). You may want to consider an attractive custom tab page including a welcome video introducing your company. Post it on YouTube to take advantage of additional SEO benefits.

4    Trick out Your Page.
Alicia Keys. There’s a ton of apps out there and choosing the right small selection depends on your business. If music is your thing, enhance your Page with iLike, an app (tab) which allows you to post audio, video, bulletins, links, “sounds like” tags and tour dates, all on one page! Pizza Hut actually has an app so you can order a pizza without ever leaving the comfort of your Facebook site. Make interacting with your business easy.

5    Become a Resource to Your Clients.
The Wilson Law Firm. What caught my eye with this Page was their effective use of “YouTube” and “Discussions” tabs. Postings such as “10 Biggest Mistakes People Make Following a DUI Arrest and How to Avoid Them” and “What to Look For in a Virginia DUI Lawyer” build credibility while offering help and giving people a reason to return and share. Many other law firms including Fenwick & West LLP also offer  a “Documents” tab which is a great way to share pdf articles.

Discover how we can partner to create a much better web site that generates scores of leads, builds customer relationships and creates massive profit at this link: www.readygomedia.com (www.joanneprobyn.com until official ReadyGo Media launch).

Cheers,
Joanne Probyn

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Transform Your Website into a Powerful Marketing Portal

and Bring In More Money and Clients in 2010!

George Plumley
Author 24-Hour WordPress Trainer

Joanne Probyn
Creative Director, ReadyGo Media

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I had the pleasure today of attending the Economic Growth Forum at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The morning sessions were described by some as “dense” and by others as inconsistently informative and engaging. Whatever the opinion, all seemed to be in agreement with Ginny Hasselfield, Director of Leadership Giving SFU. She said the big morning take-away was the quote “Canada needs to become the Julliard of knowledge.” There’s great concern we’re loosing 50% of our PhD’s to other countries. We’re seeing a push to view knowledge as Canada’s new resource. This concept also colored the last Vancouver Board of Trade event I attended with speaker Stephen J. Toope, President of UBC.

Todd Buchholz, former White House Director of Economic Policy and bestselling author of numerous books including New Ideas from Dead Economists, delivered an entertaining and straightforward perspective of the global economic crisis. Which, given the complexity of the subject was remarkable in itself. Here are a few points I found interesting.

Todd spoke optimistically of a few things we’re doing that will steer us away from another “Great Depression.” These include the printing of money, maintaining raising tax rates, and welcoming foreigners (not doing these things became the tipping point that moved a “regular” ol’ depression into a “Great” Depression). Focus turned to the individual with emphasis on putting the passion back into our businesses and brands. Grassroots sales and business development: strategically select your customers, understand the value of their business, offer exceptional service, employ innovative thinking and act with civic leadership. What Todd thought would really help us move forward is when people finally realize everything is “on sale.” It will move us from fear and connect us with our increased buying power. That said, it’s not all that surprising he doesn’t stand by most alternative sustainable economic theories. Instead, he thinks mirroring our sustainability goals with taxes on unsustainable activities will move us toward making better decisions while holding onto positive changes we’ve enjoyed in the past 100 years. He asks, and I paraphrase, “aren’t you glad to be living past 47 without horse-drawn trollys, garbage in the streets, and outhouses?” Maybe, but I still have to wonder… at what cost?
I’d like to finish with a quote from an admired marketing expert, Alan Weiss. He speaks to how we can help our businesses thrive during the end this downturn:

We need to ask “How can we help you?”

“Ask how you can best help your target market improve during a recovery, and then demonstrate it. Typical high potential areas: hiring and rehiring; luring back past customers; rebuilding brand and image; rebuilding morale and loyalty; identifying high growth opportunities; professional development; financing; upgrading technology.” – Alan Weiss, Summit Consulting Group

Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom. — Kierkegaard

How can I help YOU?
I would be delighted to speak with you about how we can partner to help you meet your business goals in this economic recovery. Yes, Joanne Probyn Media goes the extra mile. You’ll be thrilled with our customer service. But don’t trust me; check out our testimonials. We’re a team that’s all about passion, innovation and meeting your unique needs at every step. Contact Joanne today.

Thank you to the Vancouver Board of Trade for hosting this event and to nDevilTV for the feature image.